@futurebird compared with e.g.
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@futurebird compared with e.g. Pesach, which is a massive time/effort commitment, which is universally logistics-heavy and planned for (even if you do it locally), which in places where Jews have had sufficient institutionally influence is logistically built around -- the Israeli military (sorry for bringing then up in this, there just aren't that many places that Jews have had sufficient institutional influence to use as examples) usually has most of its soldiers on leave and travelling home for it, Brandeis University (a secular university, but historically,,) specifically schedules its Spring Break around it, ... -- it's core practice is structured as a conducted group meal which is awkward even with just two, and in at least one step is structurally impossible to do correctly as an individual, etc.
(obviously individual experience/practice applies and to some extent I'm generalizing my personal experience, but I'm pretty sure this broadly holds.)
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@futurebird compared with e.g. Pesach, which is a massive time/effort commitment, which is universally logistics-heavy and planned for (even if you do it locally), which in places where Jews have had sufficient institutionally influence is logistically built around -- the Israeli military (sorry for bringing then up in this, there just aren't that many places that Jews have had sufficient institutional influence to use as examples) usually has most of its soldiers on leave and travelling home for it, Brandeis University (a secular university, but historically,,) specifically schedules its Spring Break around it, ... -- it's core practice is structured as a conducted group meal which is awkward even with just two, and in at least one step is structurally impossible to do correctly as an individual, etc.
(obviously individual experience/practice applies and to some extent I'm generalizing my personal experience, but I'm pretty sure this broadly holds.)
Kwanzaa has always been embedded in Christmas and New Years for me. So, you might go to a Christmas service, have Christmas dinner, see the nativity play (or better yet check out Black Nativity*) then spend that next week cleaning the house, doing repairs, helping neighbors and just getting ready for the new year.
After a week of hard work and community service a New Year's party feels earned. The year is over and boy was it a lot of work! On to the next one!
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@futurebird compared with e.g. Pesach, which is a massive time/effort commitment, which is universally logistics-heavy and planned for (even if you do it locally), which in places where Jews have had sufficient institutionally influence is logistically built around -- the Israeli military (sorry for bringing then up in this, there just aren't that many places that Jews have had sufficient institutional influence to use as examples) usually has most of its soldiers on leave and travelling home for it, Brandeis University (a secular university, but historically,,) specifically schedules its Spring Break around it, ... -- it's core practice is structured as a conducted group meal which is awkward even with just two, and in at least one step is structurally impossible to do correctly as an individual, etc.
(obviously individual experience/practice applies and to some extent I'm generalizing my personal experience, but I'm pretty sure this broadly holds.)
When I've been alone without anyone to celebrate with I'd do writing. One year I edited a Wikipedia article for each day to celebrate and that felt perfect.
But that is just me.
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@futurebird compared with e.g. Pesach, which is a massive time/effort commitment, which is universally logistics-heavy and planned for (even if you do it locally), which in places where Jews have had sufficient institutionally influence is logistically built around -- the Israeli military (sorry for bringing then up in this, there just aren't that many places that Jews have had sufficient institutional influence to use as examples) usually has most of its soldiers on leave and travelling home for it, Brandeis University (a secular university, but historically,,) specifically schedules its Spring Break around it, ... -- it's core practice is structured as a conducted group meal which is awkward even with just two, and in at least one step is structurally impossible to do correctly as an individual, etc.
(obviously individual experience/practice applies and to some extent I'm generalizing my personal experience, but I'm pretty sure this broadly holds.)
@futurebird (Channucca has gotten more significance culturally from that same "wait, they have Christmas, what do WE have?? Can I get stuff like that please??"cultural pressure, but even with that.)
Quite possibly it varies too much to between people and communities to give a single answer -- and for travel, it'll be harder to say because any Kwanzaa travel season would be covered entirely by a Christmas travel season, from terms of both time and larger-surrounding-culture, right? (or, maybe not?)
... but like, by you or by what you've seen, is there a range that can be pointed to. Or are there practices of the holiday that require certain interactions and so draw lines around what necessary-rituals* are entirely performable if you are in a situation where you're celebrating as an isolated individual. or etc. questions/thoughts.
(* I.. might be overemphasizing the core focus on/placement of rituals in religious holidays/practice. I was raised extremely religious-but-not-spiritual.)
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@futurebird (Channucca has gotten more significance culturally from that same "wait, they have Christmas, what do WE have?? Can I get stuff like that please??"cultural pressure, but even with that.)
Quite possibly it varies too much to between people and communities to give a single answer -- and for travel, it'll be harder to say because any Kwanzaa travel season would be covered entirely by a Christmas travel season, from terms of both time and larger-surrounding-culture, right? (or, maybe not?)
... but like, by you or by what you've seen, is there a range that can be pointed to. Or are there practices of the holiday that require certain interactions and so draw lines around what necessary-rituals* are entirely performable if you are in a situation where you're celebrating as an isolated individual. or etc. questions/thoughts.
(* I.. might be overemphasizing the core focus on/placement of rituals in religious holidays/practice. I was raised extremely religious-but-not-spiritual.)
As I understand it Hanukkah is a happy holiday that isn't as big of a deal as Passover for the Jewish people I know. But in the US it gets amplified for the reasons you describe.
Kwanzaa is a bit different in that it grows out of that gap between Christmas and New Years ... which have always been popular holidays where seeing family was mandatory in Black communities. There are a LOT of Black New Year traditions.
They are also both kind of holidays of excess, Kwanzaa is a contrast.
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As I understand it Hanukkah is a happy holiday that isn't as big of a deal as Passover for the Jewish people I know. But in the US it gets amplified for the reasons you describe.
Kwanzaa is a bit different in that it grows out of that gap between Christmas and New Years ... which have always been popular holidays where seeing family was mandatory in Black communities. There are a LOT of Black New Year traditions.
They are also both kind of holidays of excess, Kwanzaa is a contrast.
I'm speaking very generally, I hope that's obvious.
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When I've been alone without anyone to celebrate with I'd do writing. One year I edited a Wikipedia article for each day to celebrate and that felt perfect.
But that is just me.
@futurebird OH, like as a, going-out-into-the-community-and-doing-community-service is a specific holiday-practice(?) of observing it,
but,
that going out and community and that service was online.
?I'm so used to thinking of [major] holiday days as times of not e.g. driving/using electricity/doing work that I didn't even consider the possibility of that angle.
OH that's so cool! I love that!
(Is the "an act of community service per day" how you structured it for that year for yourself, or part of the structure you were raised practicing it with? I'd assume the latter but that might be carrying too much of my expectations on how structured religious practice gets (you INCREASE the hanuka candles right-to-left, but you LIGHT them left-to-right...))
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@futurebird OH, like as a, going-out-into-the-community-and-doing-community-service is a specific holiday-practice(?) of observing it,
but,
that going out and community and that service was online.
?I'm so used to thinking of [major] holiday days as times of not e.g. driving/using electricity/doing work that I didn't even consider the possibility of that angle.
OH that's so cool! I love that!
(Is the "an act of community service per day" how you structured it for that year for yourself, or part of the structure you were raised practicing it with? I'd assume the latter but that might be carrying too much of my expectations on how structured religious practice gets (you INCREASE the hanuka candles right-to-left, but you LIGHT them left-to-right...))
"What are you doing for Kwanzaa?"
Is something I might ask my family and friends who I know that celebrate. The answer is either some kind of community service, making donations OR it could be something like starting to exercise more, or studying a new language. That thing where you start the habit for your new year's resolution on the week before so you can keep going all year.
What I remember most is cleaning the whole house and donating and repairing things.
